Student and parent groups tour campus during Precollege, the summer orientation program. In order to entice them to actually come in the library and look around for a few minutes, we serve lemonade. We buy the lemonade from food services, but librarians pour it and take 2-3 minutes to talk to the group about the library. We script the talking points. As this goes on for 3 weeks, we take volunteers from all library departments. It's a feel-good event that we think gains us a lot of good will for the cost of the lemonade.

Student and parent groups tour campus during Precollege, the summer orientation program. In order to entice them to actually come in the library and look around for a few minutes, we serve lemonade. We buy the lemonade from food services, but librarians pour it and take 2-3 minutes to talk to the group about the library. We script the talking points. As this goes on for 3 weeks, we take volunteers from all library departments. It's a feel-good event that we think gains us a lot of good will for the cost of the lemonade.

Doc file of script and instructions

Doc file of script and instructions

−

=== Resource Fairs ===

=== Resource Fairs ===

These fairs are simply conference-type display tables set up in a room through which particular groups are invited: Resident assistants, New students, New faculty, undecided students, etc. We invested in a trifold, some nice laminated library photos, magnets with our IM handle (cheapest thing in the book), and chocolate. Stand and schmooze.

These fairs are simply conference-type display tables set up in a room through which particular groups are invited: Resident assistants, New students, New faculty, undecided students, etc. We invested in a trifold, some nice laminated library photos, magnets with our IM handle (cheapest thing in the book), and chocolate. Stand and schmooze.

Revision as of 15:42, 20 August 2008

Contents

General First-Year Outreach (not related to classes): definition

If you ask 18-year-olds what an academic library would have to do to get them in the door, they always come up with "public library" PR ideas: book talks, game nights, music, movies, etc. Have you tried any of these? Were they successful?

General First-Year Outreach: Examples

Ohio University 4+/pub/lge
Contact: Sherri Saines

The Code Game

The Code game is a series of 5 challenges through which students explore the library and earn prizes. They begin by asking for the first task at the Alden Library second floor library services desk. Solve that puzzle, return and get another one…. Students who successfully solve all 5 “codes” are entered in a drawing for one of three grand prizes of $100.
Web page:
Doc file of the 2007 version:
Doc file of the 2008 version:

Gaming Night

We turned the Library into a gaming arcade for one evening during move-in weekend.

Precollege Lemonade

Student and parent groups tour campus during Precollege, the summer orientation program. In order to entice them to actually come in the library and look around for a few minutes, we serve lemonade. We buy the lemonade from food services, but librarians pour it and take 2-3 minutes to talk to the group about the library. We script the talking points. As this goes on for 3 weeks, we take volunteers from all library departments. It's a feel-good event that we think gains us a lot of good will for the cost of the lemonade.
Doc file of script and instructions

Resource Fairs

These fairs are simply conference-type display tables set up in a room through which particular groups are invited: Resident assistants, New students, New faculty, undecided students, etc. We invested in a trifold, some nice laminated library photos, magnets with our IM handle (cheapest thing in the book), and chocolate. Stand and schmooze.
doc file script and instructions